Title: He Started It

Author: Samantha Downing

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Michael Joseph, Penguin

Publication Date: 30th April 2020

Rating: 4/5

Cover:

Summary:

No-one knows you better than your family.
They know the little things that make you smile. Your proudest achievements. Your darkest secrets.
Sure, you haven’t always been best friends.
But if it seemed as though someone was after you, that you might be in danger, then you’d be on each other’s side.
Right?
So gripping you won’t stop reading.
So twisty that you won’t know who to trust.
And so dark that you’ll realise something truly chilling:
No-one is more dangerous than the ones who know you best.

Review:

I remember there being such a buzz around Downing’s previous book, My Lovely Wife so I was really interested in reading He Started It and I’m really glad I did. The story follows three siblings on a very strange road trip that their recently deceased (and wealthy) grandfather has forced them to go on in his will, that is if they want their inheritance, which they definitely do! The trip is a repeat of one that the siblings and their grandfather took in the 1990s. As they travel through numerous States things get crazier and crazier as we learn more about each of the siblings and what happened on the original road trip.

I really enjoyed He Started It, it’s a fast paced, exciting and explosive journey that I could not stop reading. I intended to just read a few chapters when I started the book and then before I knew it, it was 2 AM and I’d read more than half! It is such an addictive read, where you never really know who is telling lies and who is the real villain. Downing teases and reveals just enough in every chapter to keep the reader totally hooked. To be honest, pretty much all the characters in this story are terrible people but that just made it more fun to read. The road trip aspect works fantastically well, and was one of my favourite things about He Started It. They visit some seriously quirky and strange tourist attractions including the Bonnie & Clyde Museum which I had no idea was a real thing. I quite like the macabre so if I’m ever in America, I’ll definitely be visiting some of these places! Overall, He Started It is a fast, witty and unpredictable book that I had great fun reading and which I would definitely recommend if you are a psychological thriller fan and you’re looking for something to take your mind off everything going on in the world.

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I received this e-arc through Netgalley. My review is my own honest opinion.